AAR reports rail traffic for the week ending December 20, 2025

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending December 20, 2025.

For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 487,138 carloads and intermodal units, down 7.0 percent compared with the same week last year.

Total carloads for the week ending December 20 were 206,674 carloads, down 10.5 percent compared with the same week in 2024, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 280,464 containers and trailers, down 4.3 percent compared to 2024.

Two of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2024. They were grain, up 1,294 carloads, to 23,272; and motor vehicles and parts, up 177 carloads, to 16,024. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2024 included coal, down 9,571 carloads, to 51,534; miscellaneous carloads, down 8,235 carloads, to 1,044; and chemicals, down 3,662 carloads, to 31,508.

For the first 51 weeks of 2025, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,320,426 carloads, up 1.5 percent from the same point last year; and 13,851,979 intermodal units, up 1.6 percent from last year. Total combined U.S. traffic for the first 51 weeks of 2025 was 25,172,405 carloads and intermodal units, an increase of 1.5 percent compared to last year.

North American rail volume for the week ending December 20, 2025, on 9 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 310,557 carloads, down 8.7 percent compared with the same week last year, and 361,679 intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 672,236 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.1 percent. North American rail volume for the first 51 weeks of 2025 was 34,645,846 carloads and intermodal units, up 1.4 percent compared with 2024.

Canadian railroads reported 89,678 carloads for the week, down 3.5 percent, and 66,363 intermodal units, down 3.9 percent compared with the same week in 2024. For the first 51 weeks of 2025, Canadian railroads reported cumulative rail traffic volume of 8,258,288 carloads, containers and trailers, up 2.1 percent.

Mexican railroads reported 14,205 carloads for the week, down 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year, and 14,852 intermodal units, up 5.5 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 51 weeks of 2025 was 1,215,153 carloads and intermodal containers and trailers, down 5.5 percent from the same point last year.